Microsoft launches online privacy portal to enable you to manage what you know about you

Since launching Windows 10, Microsoft has had torespond to multiple criticismsof privacy in its operating system, with organizations like the EFFcharging against themaccusingthemof omitting user freedom.It seems that the criticism has worked, and the Redmond have taken a first step to start washing their image.

They have done soofficially presentingtheir newprivacytrayand upcoming changes in Windows 10 Creators Update.As for the tray, the Privacy Dashboard, it is a specially designed web page so youcan know what data they have collected about you.On this page you can also manage them by deleting the ones you have stored so far, or deciding which ones you want to continue to obtain and which ones do not.

“At Microsoft, we are deeply committed to protecting our customers’ privacy, including providingclear options and easy-to-use toolsthat put you in control of how your information is collected and used.”, We can read on theMicrosoft BlogWhere the news has been presented.“Trust is a fundamental pillar of our Personal Computing vision, and we’re working hard to make sure Windows 10 is the most secure Windows of all time and a product you like and trust.”

The page shows the data in five categories: Scan History, Search History, Location Activity, Cortana Notebook, and Health Activity.In each one of them you will have the option “View and delete the history”, which will take you toa specific page in which to visualize what is the datathat they have about you.

In these specific pages you can alsoerase all that data at the touch of a button.In some of them, such as search history, you will also have the option to directly configure the Microsoft Bing search engine to determine what data you want to collect.

But in most sections it is not possible to adjust privacy directly from this website.That’s why in each category Microsoft offers a FAQ that tells you whatsteps you have to take in setting upWindows 10 to prevent you from continuing to store such amount of information.

There will also be changes in Creators Update

From Microsoft have also said that from the next build of the Insider Preview program will begin testinga new privacy panelthat will be released with its next major update, the Windows Creators Update 10. Its mission will be to simplify configuration to the maximum Of privacy.

To begin, they will change the current express configuration that we access when installing the operating system to replace it with a simpler configuration and that will vary depending on whether you come from Windows 7, Windows 8 or if you are doing a new installation.This new configuration panelwill show you some simple and important optionswith which to configure your privacy.

They will also change the diagnostic data collection, and willreduce to basic levels the amount of information that Windows 10 collects about you.According to Microsoft, from Creators Update will only get the information strictly necessary to make your applications secure, to work properly and always updated on your device.

So we are facing good news, that Microsoftfinally begins to take seriously the privacy of its users in Windows 10. Now, it will not be until the launch of Creators Update when we can see first hand how much they have reduced His controversial data collection.But the first step, to admit that there is a problem, seems to have just happened.